Small Talk: Out of Genoa

[Petunia13]

It’s really cold and windy here in Chicago. And we got snow and ice. Whenever I think it’s bad I remember my friend Sari who lives in Edmonton in Canada. I think this winter will be very hard for me because even with this so early and not below freezing or deeper snow I’ve difficulty dealing with it physically and driving. @jewel21 I hope your butt and hips weren’t bruised or sore. 

I didn’t get the job at one place. My gym buddy who knows the owner told me they hired someone else. Shows to go ya when people say they have connections or a favor owed it’s typical North Shore “talk” but I’m not mad or feeling bad about it. I will keep trying. 

George also doesn’t like snow, slush, or temps too cold or hot. He’s v small and thin though so feels it more and he is obsessed with his grooming and clothes as well.

I was reminded today off hand conversationally of something touching and weird. My stepfather’s grandma was dying. She was 100 and in a high end nursing home and two days before she died she asked to see George my dog (he had visited the nursing home and would lie on her bed next to her and then when leaving visit with the other people in the home) her last words after being lucid and asking for George were talking about seeing her own mother in the room in the corner. 

[Cupid Stunt]

• Cat placed in solitary confinement for "repeatedly" breaking feline friends out of shelter 

• Quilty's Page at Friends 4 Life

• OK Boomer -- Why old people will always complain about young people

• Fare evasion costs cities millions. But will cracking down on it solve anything? -- New York City has increased policing to curb fare dodging. It’s resulted in outrage and protests from some riders. 

• One of America's biggest solar panel makers quits manufacturing

• Teen hospitalized after vaping gets rare double-lung transplant

• If you are a unionized journalist, this labor ruling should worry you -- America’s top labor law enforcer’s decision may have troubling implications for media unions.

• Daily Northwestern apologizes for Sessions protest coverage

• Provocative Atlantic asks How Civil War Can Be Avoided: A Nation Coming Apart

• Welcome to the Fractured States of America

• Climate change lawsuits are not going away -- More cities and children are demanding their day in court while key decisions are pending in other cases.

• China aims to build its own Yellowstone on Tibetan plateau

• Disney says its new Disney+ streaming service is so popular you can’t stream it -- “The consumer demand for Disney+ has exceeded our highest expectations.” Translation: Whoops.

• Sorry, wrong number: Statistical benchmark comes under fire

• Why is SMS texting a mess? Fixing it is harder than you think.-- The technology we take for granted is actually quite outdated. This episode of Reset uncovers how it might totally change in 2020.

• Mini Mercury skips across sun’s vast glare in rare transit

• How Mars photos inspired the first CGI -- It all began with a simple transmission of binary code.

• Most distant world ever explored gets new name: Arrokoth

• AP Exclusive: FBI eyes how Pennsylvania approved pipeline

• Scientists may have just worked out why we hiccup

• 13% of Americans say they know someone who died after they couldn't afford health care, survey says

• Two people just got the plague in China. Yes, the Black Death plague -- That's going to be bad for tourism.

• Dean Foods -- America's largest milk producer files for bankruptcy

• Had enough of all that serene winter wonderland decor, the birch trees and reindeer and sleighs? Ready to change it up this year and boogie down? Glam holiday décor gets the party started

• A present for the earth? How to cut holiday waste

• Police violence is a health crisis for Black families. Marquis Jefferson is the latest to die of a broken heart. -- The father of Atatiana Jefferson is one of too many lost to grief, trauma, and injustice.

• Hate crimes remain at heightened levels, FBI report finds

• Singer Andrea Bocelli: ‘Absurd’ to shun opera legend Domingo -- Rape Culture Defense Squad safeguards decades of complaints against Placido Domingo. And Domingo to sing at 100th anniversary Salzburg Festival

• She's changing the cultural stigma around menstruation

• Why the Faroe Islands will close to tourists in 2020

• Steve McCurry's photos show the complex relationship between humans and animals

• Schools shut, riot police out as Hong Kong sees yet another day of unrest

• We bought a $1 house in Italy. Here's what happened next

• Google Maps Says This Is the Worst Time to Leave for Thanksgiving Travel

[Cupid Stunt]

16 hours ago, jpagan05 said:

Holy guacamole!

https://www.tmz.com/2019/11/12/days-of-our-lives-cast-fired-nbc-soap-opera/

Looks like Corday is preparing to renegotiate player contracts ... by duress.

Edited November 13, 2019 by Cupid Stunt

[pearlite]

11 hours ago, Snaporaz said:

I feel like I'm being cheated out of my beloved autumn.  It's too early to be this freaking cold.  

Yes, snap, that's exactly it!

We don't normally have much if any snow in November in TO--poor Jewel, in Montreal, gets much more of it.

It makes everyday life difficult, and it's dirty, contrary to people's [that is, people who don't live with snow] illusions about sky sediment. Your clothes, boots, shoes, hallway floors, all keep this cruddy coating of snow and road salt. Not to mention the sheer filth that is our cars all winter.

[lovemesomejoolery]

2 hours ago, Cupid Stunt said:

• Cat placed in solitary confinement for "repeatedly" breaking feline friends out of shelter 

• Quilty's Page at Friends 4 Life

• OK Boomer -- Why old people will always complain about young people

• Fare evasion costs cities millions. But will cracking down on it solve anything? -- New York City has increased policing to curb fare dodging. It’s resulted in outrage and protests from some riders. 

• One of America's biggest solar panel makers quits manufacturing

• Teen hospitalized after vaping gets rare double-lung transplant

• If you are a unionized journalist, this labor ruling should worry you -- America’s top labor law enforcer’s decision may have troubling implications for media unions.

• Daily Northwestern apologizes for Sessions protest coverage

• Provocative Atlantic asks How Civil War Can Be Avoided: A Nation Coming Apart

• Welcome to the Fractured States of America

• Climate change lawsuits are not going away -- More cities and children are demanding their day in court while key decisions are pending in other cases.

• China aims to build its own Yellowstone on Tibetan plateau

• Disney says its new Disney+ streaming service is so popular you can’t stream it -- “The consumer demand for Disney+ has exceeded our highest expectations.” Translation: Whoops.

• Sorry, wrong number: Statistical benchmark comes under fire

• Why is SMS texting a mess? Fixing it is harder than you think.-- The technology we take for granted is actually quite outdated. This episode of Reset uncovers how it might totally change in 2020.

• Mini Mercury skips across sun’s vast glare in rare transit

• How Mars photos inspired the first CGI -- It all began with a simple transmission of binary code.

• Most distant world ever explored gets new name: Arrokoth

• AP Exclusive: FBI eyes how Pennsylvania approved pipeline

• Scientists may have just worked out why we hiccup

• 13% of Americans say they know someone who died after they couldn't afford health care, survey says

• Two people just got the plague in China. Yes, the Black Death plague -- That's going to be bad for tourism.

• Dean Foods -- America's largest milk producer files for bankruptcy

• Had enough of all that serene winter wonderland decor, the birch trees and reindeer and sleighs? Ready to change it up this year and boogie down? Glam holiday décor gets the party started

• A present for the earth? How to cut holiday waste

• Police violence is a health crisis for Black families. Marquis Jefferson is the latest to die of a broken heart. -- The father of Atatiana Jefferson is one of too many lost to grief, trauma, and injustice.

• Hate crimes remain at heightened levels, FBI report finds

• Singer Andrea Bocelli: ‘Absurd’ to shun opera legend Domingo -- Rape Culture Defense Squad safeguards decades of complaints against Placido Domingo. And Domingo to sing at 100th anniversary Salzburg Festival

• She's changing the cultural stigma around menstruation

• Why the Faroe Islands will close to tourists in 2020

• Steve McCurry's photos show the complex relationship between humans and animals

• Schools shut, riot police out as Hong Kong sees yet another day of unrest

• We bought a $1 house in Italy. Here's what happened next

• Google Maps Says This Is the Worst Time to Leave for Thanksgiving Travel

Seriously?   THE PLAGUE is back?????

😱😱😱😱

[Cupid Stunt]

• NJ will trap turkeys troubling Jersey Shore neighborhood

• Where Wild Turkeys Are So Bold They Knock on the Door for Food

• Rescue: ‘Unicorn’ puppy doesn’t notice ‘tail’ growth on head

• Greta Thunberg hitches low-carbon ride across Atlantic

• Doctors: Warmer world is unhealthier place for children

• Leader of food security nonprofits to head World Food Prize

• NFL schedules workout for Colin Kaepernick

• Iowa paid a security firm to break into a courthouse, then arrested employees when they succeeded -- Huh.

• Bishop who investigated sex abuse accused of sex abuse

• Pregnant people are being offered an unproven treatment to “reverse” abortions -- There’s no real evidence that it works and no data on the side effects.

• NYPD kept database of juveniles’ fingerprints, violating law

• Judge calls USC dad a 'thief,' gives longest prison sentence so far in college admissions scandal

• Officer: I quit Proud Boys over fears of ‘far-left’ attacks -- Not because it's a PR nightmare for the police department and the end of your law enforcement career.

• Truckers file 1st suit contesting California gig economy law

• Venetian anger after historic flood devastates city

• How should billionaires spend their money to fight climate change? I asked 9 experts.

• Why the Elián Gonzalez saga resonates 20 years later -- How a 5-year-old Cuban boy set off an international custody battle and media spectacle.

• Red Tide Returns to Southwestern Florida

• Supreme Court refuses to block lawsuit against gun manufacturer brought by Sandy Hook families

• 17 Secret Waiter Tricks That Diners Never Notice

• A $30,000 handbag. A disastrous wine spill. And now, a country club is suing its own waiter.

• I’ve eaten a meal replacement shake twice a day for two years. Here’s what it was like. -- Huel, a competitor to Soylent, is my breakfast and lunch. This is what I get out of it.

• The Biggest Mental and Physical Benefits of Working Out -- Exercise does your mind and body good almost instantly, research shows. Here's mega motivation to get stronger and healthier.
• Vitamin E acetate is a key culprit in the vaping illness outbreak -- The sticky chemical has been found in samples taken from people who got sick or died from vaping-related illness.

• Why it feels like everything is going haywire -- The Dark Psychology of Social Networks

• How social media makes us antisocial -- Andrew Marantz and Ezra Klein discuss the symbiotic relationship between social media platforms and the alt-right.

• Clean energy technologies threaten to overwhelm the grid. Here’s how it can adapt. -- The centralized, top-down power grid is outdated. Time for a bottom-up redesign.

• Former WeWork CEO Adam Neumann could be replaced by T-Mobile CEO John Legere.

• Money Stuff columnist Matt Levine explains Wall Street, WeWork, and how to leave Goldman Sachs for a much lower-paying job

• What the battle over a 7-year-old trans girl could mean for families nationwide -- Legislators want to have a say in whether Luna Younger should be allowed to socially transition.

Edited November 14, 2019 by Cupid Stunt

[Petunia13]

So I was rolling silverware in my spot in storage/sauce prep kitchen I always do it at the end of my shift and one of the cooks came up to me distressed and said “what is wrong mi amor ... you’re only on the schedule 3 shifts next week.” (I’m full time)  I guess the hints from the nice lady manager/my biggest fan are escalating. 

Besides the cooks; some of the servers were unsettled and upset by this too. I’ll have to apply a few places tomorrow or Saturday and hope one of them hires me immediately. Not wonderful news, I had high hopes of this place and a lot of customer compliments, a few even reached out to the owner. 

[Cupid Stunt]

• The Quiet Room -- At the end of an inconspicuous hallway and strategically placed far from the controlled chaos of the trauma room lies a dimly lit waiting area that we in the medical field call “the quiet room.” It is a bland spot; a few soft chairs surround a table that holds a box of crisp institutional tissues. There may be a picture or two on the wall, but generally it is an unassuming room where we physicians tell mothers about the deaths of their children, far too often because of firearm violence. As we make our way to this room, we recite a careful script; we use words intended to ease this painful first-and-only meeting. The reality is that over the years, we have found that there is no good way to tell a mother that her child has died, especially when the unexpected death might have been avoidable.

• A 16-second spasm of violence leaves 2 dead at Saugus High School

• South Carolina teen gets life in prison for deadly elementary school shooting

• One in 5 children live below the poverty line: Here are the states with the highest number of kids dependent on free lunches

• 'Every Child Deserves to Eat': Bill Would Provide Universal Free Public School Lunches in US

• Authorities find malnourished girl after online teacher tip

• How the US betrayed the Marshall Islands, kindling the next nuclear disaster

• Historic flooding in Venice, Italy 

• Garth Brooks wins entertainer of the year at the Country Music Association Awards Wednesday night -- <shrug> You're looking at Country.

• Big Machine Records Denies Taylor Swift’s Claims of Blocking Music Use

• French probe into Epstein sex network stalled, women say

• Data shows upswing in child exploitation cases

• What are Subscription-based Recycling Services and Can I Join One in My City?

• Pacific bird refuge struggles as ocean garbage patch grows

• Tiny deer-like animal thought lost to science photographed for first time in 30 years

• Plan would protect 21 coral hot spots in Gulf of Mexico

• AP: At least 1,680 dams across the US pose potential risk -- U.S. infrastructure is on its knees.

• Former Volvo CEO: I never got a golden parachute. Other CEOs shouldn't either
• I took maternity leave twice as CEO of Stitch Fix. Here's what I learned -- What average worker can afford to take two 16-week maternity leaves and expect to still have a job?

• WeWork Wrestled With SEC Over Metric Just Before It Scrapped IPO

• Eleanor Macnair Photographs rendered in Play-Doh -- This Artist Uses Play-Doh to Meticulously Recreate Famous Photographs

• The tourists nobody wants

• London to Sydney flight breaks world record-- A 19+hour plane trip sounds horrific.

• My husband was a veteran living in shame. He died from an opioid addiction. -- If the VA wants to help vets, they should address the stigma around pain and trauma.

• A Mining Town Buried in Mud Is Awash in Cash. It Will Soon Run Out.

• Judge orders a hospital to keep 9-month-old on life-support as her family searches for a solution

• Intellectual humility: the importance of knowing you might be wrong -- Why it’s so hard to see our own ignorance, and what to do about it.

• California faces fraught path out of wildfire, power crisis

• California crisis of fires, blackouts decades in the making

• PG&E faces potential showdown over its bankruptcy plan

• PG&E told to explain why it shouldn’t be fined

• "The Joy of Cooking" and its recipe for success

Edited November 15, 2019 by Cupid Stunt

[Cupid Stunt]

20 hours ago, Petunia13 said:

So I was rolling silverware in my spot in storage/sauce prep kitchen I always do it at the end of my shift and one of the cooks came up to me distressed and said “what is wrong mi amor ... you’re only on the schedule 3 shifts next week.” (I’m full time)  I guess the hints from the nice lady manager/my biggest fan are escalating. 

Besides the cooks; some of the servers were unsettled and upset by this too. I’ll have to apply a few places tomorrow or Saturday and hope one of them hires me immediately. Not wonderful news, I had high hopes of this place and a lot of customer compliments, a few even reached out to the owner. 

(((Petunia)))

It sounds like the rest of the crew is worried if you're not there to take the heat from the "nice lady manager," she'll start dulling her knives on one of them.

Put your attention on to something positive. Keep looking for other work. Let George snuggle the bad feelz away.

[Cupid Stunt]

• How Ellis Island shepherded millions of immigrants into America

• Popular destination the Faroe Islands closing for maintenance

• Venice is underwater — and a preview of what climate change will bring to coastal cities

• 130 guns, 39 lbs of meth and 20 lbs of pot: Agents arrest two dozen suspects in massive bust -- Yipe!

• Lyft scooters leaving Atlanta, five other cities in U.S.

• They're making paper out of stone and saving lots of trees

• After Deadspin -- With the media industry in decline, we can only expect more of the same from the chuckleheads in the corporate class.

• I'm A Queer Woman Dating A Trans Man & No One Knows -- Does it matter? Should it matter?

• A post office worker was given three life sentences for raping and murdering a student. Now South African women are saying enough

• Algeria’s forgotten protesters -- Algerians have been protesting since February. Here’s why you haven’t heard much about them.

• College student seeks to have racist slur charge erased

• Little Rock teachers strike over state’s control of district

• 2 officials, teacher charged in autistic student’s death

• How Whole Foods, yoga, and NPR became the hallmarks of the modern elite -- Elizabeth Currid-Halkett explains why today’s rich are far less materialistic, but a far greater threat to equality.

• Attitudes about charity -- A comic on who you extend empathy to and how that affects your worldview.

• Santa Clarita shooting: Unregistered guns found in home of Saugus suspect; motive a mystery

• AP sources: Jail guards at time of Epstein death reject deal

• Court rules against warrantless searches of phones, laptops

• Hello Pot Economy Taxes! -- Support for marijuana legalization is at an all-time high -- <snerk> Two-thirds of Americans support marijuana legalization, according to two recent polls.

• A week after CEO Reed Hastings said Netflix was in the entertainment business, not the “truth to power business,” another exec takes a stab at it. Tldr: It’s still going to get censored. -- Netflix says it speaks truth to power, after all -- Pick a lane, Reed.

• Where the 1960s “psychedelic” look came from -- The hippie aesthetic owes a lot to Art Nouveau.

• Oil tankers ‘go dark’ off Venezuela to evade US sanctions

• Nike’s breakup with Amazon is a lose-lose situation for everyone, including you -- Soon, when you buy Nike stuff on Amazon, it will no longer come directly from Nike.

• A libertarian group is suing California for allegedly discriminating against men -- A new state law requires all public companies to have at least one woman on their board. -- "Men have staked out 99.9% of all board seats, and we're here to keep it that way." -- Libertarian Asshatery run amok.

• America’s wilderness is for sale -- We need more copper. Is it worth destroying the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness? Wikipedia: Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness

• Nation’s largest utility in long-term deals to sell power

• A bait-and-switch scam ran unchecked on Airbnb. Here’s how it worked. -- On this episode of Reset, hear how one woman found herself in the middle of it, and how to protect yourself.

• How Google Interferes With Its Search Algorithms and Changes Your Results -- And Bing, Yahoo, Firefox and all the other search engines do exactly the same thing, by altering your queries toward sponsored content. <snore> Welcome to 1996, WSJ.

• Taylor Swift Rep Hits Back at Big Machine, Claims She's Actually Owed $7.9 Million in Unpaid Royalties -- Best cat fight ever. Guess who's lying?

• Latin Grammys 2019: Rosalía makes history, Bad Bunny addresses reggaeton snubs

Edited November 16, 2019 by Cupid Stunt

[ByTor]

On 11/4/2019 at 9:42 PM, Cupid Stunt said:

Glam/Hair Metal was a mad time. My favorite is still Hanoi Rocks; short lived, but a nonstop knockout catalogue: not a dud in the bunch.

I still love Cinderella!  And I love the Bloodsoaked cover of "Shake Me"!

[Cupid Stunt]

Ooo Wee Baby, don't let your dog bite me ...

• Two Female Writers Quit Patricia Heaton’s CBS Show After Making Complaints

• Prince Andrew Gets Candid, and Britain Is Appalled -- They're not alone.

• AP sources: Jail guards at time of Epstein death reject deal

• Drug-resistant superbug infections rising

• LASIK eye surgery should be taken off market, former FDA adviser says

• What to Do If You Live in a Food Desert -- We consulted a slew of experts for insight on everything there is to know about food deserts in America—and what to do if you live in one.

• Family told to take down Christmas display because it's too soon to decorate -- A Texas couple was told by their homeowners association to pump the brakes on their Christmas cheer. -- And good will toward men ...

• Disneyland holiday castle transformation

• Let's save the food -- Food is being wasted at an alarming rate. And we - consumers - are the largest source of it. More than grocery stores and restaurants combined. But there's good news: we can do something about it. Everything we need is right here (and in our fridges).

• Horses lead the way to a less peaceful coexistence in Amish country

• Man charged in Vegas massacre ammunition case changing plea

• The answer in Saugus? God and a gunshot kit 

• Planned Parenthood awarded $2.3 million for secret videos

• Iraq’s protests raise question: Where does the oil money go?

• Judge: US-born woman who joined Islamic State not citizen

• Amazon appeals $10B Pentagon contract won by Microsoft

• US military academy athletes can now delay service, go pro

The theme song of juvenile delinquency … distortion turned up to infinity.

[Cupid Stunt]

Police fire tear gas at Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) in Hong Kong, November 18, 2019. REUTERS -- Athit Perawongmetha

• Reuters Pictures: Besieged Hong Kong protesters prepare for crackdown at university

• Hong Kong protesters confront police to try to free campus allies

• A lot of bong water is flowing under the bridge -- Cannabis use disorder and support for marijuana legalization are both on the rise

• Illegal pot farms on public land create environmental hazard

• "Forget it Jake. It's Chinatown." … What the Suspect in the Chinatown Murders Says He Remembers From That Night

• Judge says mass arrest of Marines accused of human smuggling, drug offenses was unlawful

• Why the U.S. is missing out on the race to mine trillions of dollars worth of metals from the ocean floor -- Rare earth elements and metals used in cell phones, supercomputers and more are sitting on the ocean floor, ready to be mined by multiple countries. So why is the U.S. on the sidelines?

• U.S. Struggles to Stem Chinese Efforts to Recruit Scientists

• Florida judge draws town’s wrath over school violence case

• The Disappearance of John M. Ford -- I wanted to learn why a beloved science fiction writer fell into obscurity after his death. I didn’t expect that I would help bring his books back to life.

• How Amazon's quest for more, cheaper products has resulted in a flea market of fakes

• Yahoo Japan, Line to merge business to form online giant

• Two Arkansas chemistry professors arrested for allegedly making meth

• A restaurant called 'Immigrant Food' just opened in Washington D.C.

• NFL suspends Myles Garrett indefinitely for swinging helmet onto quarterback's head -- Suspension is the least of Garrett’s concerns

• How local news should be propped up

• Much ado about Gun Control

• How Young People Are Endangering the Car Industry -- For the same reason Retirement is dying. The old work model is disappearing for Boomers, Gen Xers

• Bridal Party Encourages Adoption by Swapping Bouquets for Sweet Puppies in Flower Crowns

• A blind man asked for descriptions of dogs and is flooded with responses

• UK media: Prince Andrew’s sex claims rebuttal a PR disaster

• Report: Prosecutor used daughter as bait to catch molester

• 60% of Superfund sites are imperiled by climate change

• Italy’s white truffle hunters worry about climate change

• Two more examples of falling up the ladder -- Jenna Bush Hager Defends Kim Kardashian's Criminal Justice Work After Today Interview -- Kim is "beginning a four-year apprenticeship with a law firm in San Francisco, with the goal of taking the bar in 2022." And Jenna has a job in TV journalism with missives like, “PPS: She’s using her voice for good and looks great,” Bush Hager added. “In the words of my grandma Barbara Bush: if you don’t have anything nice to say, find another insta page. Ha. I was so impressed by her work.” … That's qualification enough for a law license in California.

• Christian Genius Billionaire Kanye West is serving Prosperity Gospel to a thirsty nation

• Mormon leader: We didn’t leave Boy Scouts, they left us

• Everything you learned in the locker room and from porn is wrong -- Can a chatbot teach teens about sex? This episode of the Reset podcast uncovers alternatives to traditional sex ed.

Edited November 18, 2019 by Cupid Stunt

[Cupid Stunt]

It’s a fine line between fail and self-deprecating win.

• Colin Kaepernick held a workout in Georgia on Saturday for NFL representatives and media

• The world’s most profitable company is about to go public -- The oil company that made Saudi Arabia rich is going public. Some say the timing couldn’t be worse.

• Destination Tokyo: Shibuya Crossing

• Accelerationism: the obscure idea inspiring white supremacist killers around the world -- How a techno-capitalist philosophy morphed into a justification for murder.

• The flat-Earth conspiracy is spreading around the globe. Does it hide a darker core?

• Brazil’s Amazon rainforest destruction is at its highest rate in more than a decade -- New satellite measurements show an alarming spike in deforestation this year.

• There are a lot of shootings in America. -- The Walmart shooting is part of a typical week for America

• Football watch party shooting in Fresno, California -- At least four people were killed, and at least six wounded, police said.

• Three people were killed during a shooting at a Walmart store in Oklahoma.

• He was shot 5 times at the El Paso Walmart and spent 2 months at hospitals. This is his fight to get back his life

• In 46 weeks this year, there have been 45 school shootings

• Supreme Court to take up military rape cases

• Prince Andrew hoped to clarify his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. He only raised new questions -- Andrew rejected allegations of sexual misconduct in Epstein’s company by arguing a pizza party and an inability to sweat prove his innocence.

• A new study finds immigrants aren’t drawn to states that offer them health insurance -- A new study finds immigrants aren’t drawn to states that offer them health insurance

• Secretive energy startup backed by Bill Gates achieves solar breakthrough

• Sweden drops investigation into Julian Assange over rape allegation

• Same as it ever was: worker health benefit costs rise again

• No short-term fix for challenges in California pot market

• Having a bad day? Dave Eggers can help.

• Native American shield returned to New Mexico from France

• A Missouri teen dying of cancer wanted a sports car funeral procession. Thousands helped fulfill his wish

• David Bazan talks about his music and watching Christianity be “co-opted by authoritarianism” -- The provocative Pedro the Lion frontman is the subject of the new documentary Strange Negotiations.

• A pivot from tech to empowerment at bra startup ThirdLove

• Marie Kondo cleared your homes of clutter. Now she wants to sell you stuff

• You first Goop.

• Lizzo is primed to end cancel culture

"Goin' away to a world unknown ..."

Edited November 20, 2019 by Cupid Stunt

[Petunia13]

So earlier this evening I got hired at that restaurant I mentioned and I start training tomorrow night. 

[Cupid Stunt]

5 minutes ago, Petunia13 said:

So earlier this evening I got hired at that restaurant I mentioned and I start training tomorrow night. 

That's how you do it PETUNIA!

Fantastic news for you!

Have you quit at the place with the "nice lady manager" or are you waiting until your training is completed?

[Petunia13]

I’ll quit after I finish my training. This place is supposed to be busy. It’s pretty large and very expensive. Hope I make a lot of money. There’s some good restaurants in Chicago and the area near that do very well, is kinda a dining out “eater” city, like NY. My gym buddy’s bf or ex bf is one of the bartenders there that’s how she told me to apply there even though she wasn’t sure they were hiring. She said he as a bartender makes a LOT on Saturdays doing doubles (she told me the amount which is more that many people’s entire week normal job paychecks, granted bartenders especially men ones make more than dining room servers) and that weekends most people are scheduled on doubles. The owner was clear to me he wanted open availability and me to be fine w doubles, which I worked and like it obviously is more money and then you hammer out your hours in chunks and have sometimes 3-4 days off which George would like. The owner is a perfectionist and very stern and serious which makes me nervous, but whatever. The other manager I actually think is his son (didn’t ask) though they have no physical resemblance whatsoever... they have similar names and the owner seemed to take his opinions and words very reverentially. 

[Cupid Stunt]

• There's still several wars going on … somewhere … Two U.S. soldiers killed in helicopter crash in Afghanistan

• And the military is fighting a couple of wars of their own at home ... Navy could remove Gallagher from SEALs after pardon 

• Ambushed At Home: The hazardous, squalid housing of American military families

• Butterfly on a bomb range: Endangered Species Act at work

• AP PHOTOS: Laborious saffron harvest unites Moroccan village

• The man whose duvet nearly killed him: How this medical mystery was solved

• “OK boomer” isn’t just about the past. It’s about our apocalyptic future. -- It’s not really about age and it’s more complicated than just memes.

• Indiana officer fired after stopping black men at Nordstrom Rack for 'acting suspicious' -- The chief constable of Lawrence Township said he fired the deputy constable within two hours of viewing the viral video.

• Chick-fil-A backlash is nothing short of 'cancel culture' -- Go to Popeye's for a better chicken sandwich … and on Sunday … Oops!

• Fire season drags on -- California's largest utility to intentionally shut off power again -- this time to 150,000 customers -- We can only blame PG&E for so long

• Europe’s Richest Man Is Spending $1 Billion on a Department Store -- Bernard Arnault is counting on rich Chinese shoppers to fill La Samaritaine, which is set to reopen next April after a 15-year renovation.

• Kohl's makeover isn't working

• Anal cancer rates and deaths are climbing in the US, study says

• An inmate ran an online scam from prison and made $1 million, authorities say

• US prison system long plagued by staffing crisis, violence

• As Epstein died, guards allegedly shopped online and slept

• Fake doctors, pilfered medical records drive Oxy China sales

• AP key findings about Mundipharma’s OxyContin sales in China

• Why movies went from 15 minutes to 2 hours -- Movies were short. How did it change?

• Welcome to Uncanny Valley! Bring Money! -- Cats’ new trailer is here. It’s very Cats. -- When the dawn comes, the new Cats trailer will be a memory, too, and a new day will begin … And now I have that stupid song on earworm.

• Google just got access to millions of medical records. Here are the pros and cons. -- What Google plans to do with the records is unclear. This episode of Reset explores the potential impacts on patient privacy. -- What's the price tag on your medical records and who's buying? 

• New acts rule Grammys as Lizzo, Lil Nas, Eilish lead in nominations

• Spain has permits to build giant telescope blocked in Hawaii

Edited November 20, 2019 by Cupid Stunt

[Cupid Stunt]

12 hours ago, Petunia13 said:

I’ll quit after I finish my training. This place is supposed to be busy. It’s pretty large and very expensive. Hope I make a lot of money. There’s some good restaurants in Chicago and the area near that do very well, is kinda a dining out “eater” city, like NY. My gym buddy’s bf or ex bf is one of the bartenders there that’s how she told me to apply there even though she wasn’t sure they were hiring. She said he as a bartender makes a LOT on Saturdays doing doubles (she told me the amount which is more that many people’s entire week normal job paychecks, granted bartenders especially men ones make more than dining room servers) and that weekends most people are scheduled on doubles. The owner was clear to me he wanted open availability and me to be fine w doubles, which I worked and like it obviously is more money and then you hammer out your hours in chunks and have sometimes 3-4 days off which George would like. The owner is a perfectionist and very stern and serious which makes me nervous, but whatever. The other manager I actually think is his son (didn’t ask) though they have no physical resemblance whatsoever... they have similar names and the owner seemed to take his opinions and words very reverentially. 

Chicago is a great food city! I've gained weight every time I visited.

I don't care where you go, every restaurant has their signature style for presentation and service, and you'll be fine with your training and the new owner. Ask questions, practice and make their serving style second nature. Mistakes in a new situation are inevitable, just do your best … I know you will.

Have a good training session tonight.

[PatsyandEddie]

Congrats Petunia!

I hope this works out well for you 😘

[jpagan05]

Congrats @Petunia13! When you quit, please tell manager woman we all think she is a horrible person. 🖕She sounds so similar to my old boss. She'll get her comeuppance. They always do.

[jpagan05]

@Cupid Stunt I love Flea. Have you seen the doc on Netflix "The Other F Word"? Flea wept most of the way through it. I love how grateful he is. The documentary isn't good but worth watching the Flea parts.

[Snaporaz]

Congratulations, @Petunia13!  Think of the $$$$ you'll make working all of those holiday parties in a few weeks! 

You shouldn't worry about the stern serious perfectionist owner.  I usually find people like that to be easier to work for.  They may have high standards, but they make it very clear what those standards are and what they expect of you.  Plus, they tend not to play mind-fuck games.  Do you have a plan in place to make sure George doesn't mind those double shifts too much?

[Petunia13]

I don’t think I’ll be making as much as it’s gassed up. For one thing they don’t actually get cashed out every night they get their tips on paychecks. As a server it’s an immense draw to go home w cash every night. Changing jobs where I literally have no money right now to a place where I’ll get my first income in a week or two from now is not gonna work. Also I got weird vibes when I worked last night. I also saw 3 female employees: a salad maker in the back and two of the bussers. The owner just sits and stares at the servers or walks around looking at them. I didn’t get a good read on how much the waiter I was shadowing made but even if it was $200 for dinner he’s taxed on all of it and has to wait a week or two and taxed on that amount probably before tip out. 

[Cupid Stunt]

• Inside the bloody cartel war for Mexico's multibillion-dollar avocado industry  -- Yum!

• 145 coffins found at King High School, part of an erased African American cemetery in Tampa

• "Who's this FICA guy?" an employee once asked me -- $26 Million Disappeared From Paychecks. Who Was Behind It?

• IAEA urges Iran to explain uranium particles at undeclared site

• Filing for federal judge to toss out court order removing weapons-grade plutonium in Nevada lawsuit

• Auditor: New Mexico secret settlements were ‘abuse of power’

• Businesses need help with labyrinth of state, local laws

• Health Department Issues Beach Water Advisory Due To Rains -- Yay rain! Grrr fecal content and other health hazards in the run off.

• Autonomous food delivery robots that are just knee-high and travel on the sidewalk on college campuses are branded a menace for disabled people

• Fears spread in churches after girl accused of mayhem plot

• Wisconsin-Eau Claire suspends five football players for using KKK image on Snapchat

• Afghanistan’s Curse: A Bomb From 2 Wars Ago Crushes a Family Today

• “Tuk Tuk” a newspaper for the Iraqi protest movement

• Painting stolen by the Nazis before WWII recovered from a New York museum

• A massive dust storm has turned an Australian city red

• Iconic singer hopes to close financing gap for African women

• No training, no gloves: Zimbabwe’s desperate childbirths

• UN warns of mounting humanitarian crisis in Africa’s Sahel

• Dead-end: Rohingya in Malaysia warn against fleeing from Bangladesh

• Refugee agencies challenge order requiring state consent for resettlement

• Visitors pose at a light installation as the illuminated trail opens at Kew Gardens in west London. REUTERS -- Toby Melville -- Reuters Pictures -- Nov 20, 2019 -- Editor's Choice

• Drive behind occupation of Alcatraz lingers 50 years later

• The latest Keystone Pipeline oil leak is almost 10 times worse than initially thought

• WeWork braces for mass layoffs this week -- Because SoftBank blew the budget buying a golden parachute for a dead beat

• Meet the Facebook executive who wants you to trust him with your money <laughing> When pigs fly ...

• How the black turtleneck came to represent creative genius -- Umm ... No.

• Coldplay Pause Touring Over Environmental Concerns -- Band will not go on tour for Everyday Life until their shows are carbon-neutral <laughing> Which has nothing to do with low advance ticket sales

• The Life of LaMelo -- The youngest Ball brother and potential 2020 top NBA pick has taken his show to Australia, but even half a world away, the spotlight and the weight of his name are inescapable.

• As a novelty or a favorite, wooden toys can make great gifts -- I'm a big fan of Melissa and Doug toys for gifts

Edited November 21, 2019 by Cupid Stunt

[PatsyandEddie]

https://apple.news/Ay0TloLEbTg2LsPveVsPxoQ

[Snaporaz]

1 hour ago, PatsyandEddie said:

https://apple.news/Ay0TloLEbTg2LsPveVsPxoQ

That's great news!  I've never watched Days, but I'm glad for them and their fans.

[pearlite]

15 hours ago, Snaporaz said:

That's great news!  I've never watched Days, but I'm glad for them and their fans.

Yup, and currently with its time-jump thing, and some decent writing, it's a whole lot more watchable than Y & R...

[Cupid Stunt]

• Mysterious comet will cause a rare 'Unicorn' meteor storm this week. Here's how to watch.

• Another Confederate monument comes down, this time in North Carolina

• American happiness is plummeting. Could a few words change that? -- A psychologist claims that learning “untranslatable words” from other cultures may be a key to being happy. I experimented on myself to see whether it’s true.

• Hopepunk, the latest storytelling trend, is all about weaponized optimism -- In the era of Trump and apocalyptic change, Hopepunk is a storytelling template for #resistance and hanging onto your humanity at all costs.

• Women are increasingly unhappy. -- When Momma's unhappy, everyone get's a comic to explain it.

• Welcome to The Highlight’s Happiness Issue -- What we might learn from other cultures, the explosion of positive psychology, why women are growing more unhappy, and how to spend to maximize joy.

• The economic debate over the minimum wage, explained -- There’s still disagreement. But it looks like in many cases, pay raises swamp any lost jobs.

• Oxford Dictionaries declares 'climate emergency' the word of 2019 -- Usage of the term increased 100-fold in the space of 12 months, dictionary says

• PG&E Struggles to Find a Way Out of Bankruptcy -- Cautiously to stymie profit clawbacks and lawsuits.

• On Frozen 2 and Disney’s nostalgia problem -- Disney used to always be looking forward. These days, it increasingly only looks back.

• GM sues Fiat Chrysler, alleging union bribes cost it billions

• Turmoil in Hong Kong

• Suspected Islamist militants kill 19, burn church in eastern DR Congo

• How jihadists struck gold in Africa's Sahel

• Gold worth billions is smuggled out of Africa

• Fake-branded bars slip dirty gold into world markets

• Wildcat goldminers doomed by their trade

• Airline CEOs to climate activists: You’re right, our industry is a big problem -- Leaders of two major airlines said this week they need to do more to fight against climate change.

• There’s more to life than profit -- Former Kickstarter CEO Yancey Strickler discusses climate change, founding Kickstarter and the perils of profit

• Why a robot pizza startup could be worth $4 billion

• In the age of online shopping, where do IRL salespeople fit in? -- Customers want help. They also want to be left alone.

• Giffords Law Center: Ghost Guns

• California school shooting shines light on murky 'ghost gun' world

• I Made an Untraceable AR-15 'Ghost Gun' in My Office and It Was Easy

• Prince Andrew steps back from public duties after Jeffrey Epstein interview -- The Duke of York hoped to clarify his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein in the BBC interview. He only raised new questions.

• Arrest made at Syracuse, chancellor bows to student demands as racist hate incidents continue

• Woman Who Went Topless In Own Home Could Be Labeled A Sex Offender

• Why did Iran shut off the internet for the entire country? -- After protesters railed against increased fuel prices, connectivity fell to just 5 percent.

• Seattle Children's Hospital CEO announces five more mold-related deaths since 2001

• An Illinois teen posted a photo of a black student on Craigslist with the caption 'slave for sale,' police say

[jpagan05]

2 hours ago, Cupid Stunt said:

Woman Who Went Topless In Own Home Could Be Labeled A Sex Offender

It's almost 2020. Can you believe this shit?

[bannana]

15 hours ago, Cupid Stunt said:

A psychologist claims that learning “untranslatable words” from other cultures may be a key to being happy. I experimented on myself to see whether it’s true.

And....?

[Cupid Stunt]

Quote

Woman Who Went Topless In Own Home Could Be Labeled A Sex Offender

14 hours ago, jpagan05 said:

It's almost 2020. Can you believe this shit?

Isn't the national pastime monitoring female attire and fuckability Sell-By-Date while stringently legislating their dangerous personal and sexual autonomy into an ever smaller container in order to protect man-kind and little children no one gives a tinker's dam about?

Quote

A psychologist claims that learning “untranslatable words” from other cultures may be a key to being happy. I experimented on myself to see whether it’s true.

1 hour ago, bannana said:

And....?

And more words, Bannana. 

[Cupid Stunt]

• Public sector workers protest Lebanese government cuts -- Global Wave of Protests Rattles Governments

• A 'no-brainer Nobel Prize': Hungarian scientists may have found a fifth force of nature

• Tesla claimed its pickup truck was ‘bulletproof’ then smashed its windows with a metal ball

• Shattered glass: Futuristic design questioned after Tesla Cybertruck launch

• 12 car designs that polarized auto enthusiasts

• Oklahoma State Receives Notice of Allegation From NCAA Over FBI Probe

• New hearing, same sentence for convicted Penn State child molester Jerry Sandusky

• A Minneapolis animal shelter is empty -- just in time for the holidays -- Job well done.

• Colorado man faces new charges for plotting to bomb synagogue

• Exclusive: U.S. Navy secretary backs SEAL's expulsion review, despite objections

• Typing These Two Letters Will Scare Your Young Co-Workers -- OK

• France shaken up by #MeToo wave amid new Polanski scandal -- Fresh allegations have prompted a surge in public awareness of sexual violence.

• Vogue cover features transgender 'muxe' from Mexico for the first time -- Mexican and British editions of the magazine feature Estrella Vazquez on the cover in December

• Ex-CIA agent jailed for 19 years for spying for China

• Inside Home Depot’s efforts to stop a growing theft problem at its stores -- Organized retail crime costs retailers nearly $778,000 per $1 billion in sales in 2018, an all-time high, according to a National Retail Federation survey

• The Jungle Prince of Delhi

• Yankees hire female hitting coach, believed to be a first

• A Hollywood executive wanted Julia Roberts to play Harriet Tubman in a biopic -- Screenwriter Howard said when someone suggested Roberts could not play the role, the executive responded, "It was so long ago. No one is going to know the difference.'"

• Brothers recount driving Joran van der Sloot to Peru border as he attempted to flee murder scene

• A Florida dog put a car into reverse and drove it in circles for nearly an hour

• Automation in next decade could transform the workforce -- Roomba Cats at PetSmart!

• Scooter Braun makes public plea to Taylor Swift after receiving death threats -- Retaliation from ginning up social media pressure for a lower price. 

• Troubled tuna seller Bumble Bee files for bankruptcy

• Private land is being seized by Eminent Domain to build US/Mexico Border Wall

[jpagan05]

Well, that didn't last long.

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/justin-hartley-files-divorce-wife-000123495.html

[peacheslatour]

13 minutes ago, jpagan05 said:

Well, that didn't last long.

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/justin-hartley-files-divorce-wife-000123495.html

Yep, we've been discussing that in the Real to Reel thread. You'd have thought if they were going to divorce it would have been when he started seeing all that prime time dough.

[jpagan05]

I was thinking the same. Maybe they've been festering.

[Joimiaroxeu]

Thing is though, his prime time dough started in the high five figures and has recently jumped up to the low seven figures. That's probably more money than either of them have seen before.

[Cupid Stunt]

• The eternal question: White meat vs. dark meat

• Turkeys are much more than the main attraction at Thanksgiving

• From Americanization to commercialism, Thanksgiving has always served a purpose

• An easy way to make piglet lives better -- Male piglets usually have their testicles cut off without anesthetics. There’s a simple, pain-free alternative. -- Barring that, quit eating pork?

• The U.S. Gave Troubled Doctors a Second Chance. Patients Paid the Price.

• Historians Find Another Spy in the U.S. Atomic Bomb Project

• This California town has the slowest Internet in the U.S.

• 3 Huge Lessons I Learned From My Polyamorous Relationship -- 1. Someone is always left out in the cold ...

• She was fatally strangled. The media is making it about her sex life. -- Grace Millane’s story is part of a larger pattern of victim-blaming.

• How a beloved clinic for low-income women is fighting to stay alive -- Public Health Solutions is one of nearly 900 clinics that lost Title X funding this year.

• Women suffer needless pain because almost everything is designed for men -- For men -- Why women are 50 percent more likely to be misdiagnosed after a heart attack and 17 percent more likely to die in a car crash.

• The 2019 Victoria’s Secret fashion show has been canceled. -- Amid declining sales and show ratings, Victoria’s Secret executives say the brand will focus on digital marketing. -- Boo Fucking Hoo

• Why Elsa from Frozen is a queer icon and why Disney won’t embrace that idea -- The queen of Arendelle might have been accidentally coded queer in Frozen, but Frozen 2 goes all in. Kinda. -- Huh. And I thought it was a boring story, full of commercially annoying music.

• Her son died after insurers resisted covering drug rehab. Now she’s taking them to court. -- How health insurance companies helped make US addiction treatment expensive and ineffective.

• South Carolina wants to ban lifesaving medical treatments for trans kids -- It’s part of a bigger push around the country.

• Why sunsets are better in the winter -- These are dark days. At least it’s peak sunset season.

• The destruction of the Amazon, explained -- The 2019 fires were just the tip of the iceberg.

• Malaysia's last Sumatran rhinoceros dies

• Adults are finding new (and brutal) ways to enjoy Pokémon -- Old-school fans are reliving their favorite games from childhood with a punishing twist.

• In Virginia, and elsewhere, gun supporters prepare to defy new laws

• DoorDash and Uber Eats aren’t collecting sales tax on delivery fees in some states. -- It could be the latest business practice in the gig economy to raise regulatory questions.

• Google employees protest the company’s “attempt to silence workers” -- Hundreds of Google employees and protesters rallied in support of colleagues they say were put on leave for political reasons.

• Vaping is still safer than smoking. That message is getting dangerously muddled. -- A survey found the number of people who think vaping is as harmful, or more harmful, than smoking keeps growing.

• Stranger hacks into baby monitor, tells child, 'I love you' -- The Chinese manufacturer has been criticized for making devices that are easy to access without authorization. 

• 'Your throat hurts. Your brain hurts': the secret life of the audiobook star

• Meet the man adapting your favorite childhood book

• Young Whippersnappers vs. The Olds -- “This dynamic is immortal”: Why OK boomer is much more complicated than the meme

Edited November 24, 2019 by Cupid Stunt

[jpagan05]

Feeding chickens at the Target parking lot last night...

Edited November 24, 2019 by jpagan05

[Cupid Stunt]

• Presentation is everything -- Canned cranberry sauce is America's least favorite Thanksgiving food

• For many Native Americans, Thanksgiving is a day of mourning

• Grandma’s Secret Turkey Tips -- Grandma knows best when it comes to cooking the Thanksgiving turkey.

• The 46 Best Supermarket Shopping Tips Ever -- The grocery store is your first stop in building a healthy lifestyle, so you want to do it right.

• How to protect yourself from airplane germs

• University to Students on Medicaid: Buy Private Coverage, or Drop Out

• Paging Dr. Robot: Artificial intelligence moves into care -- Who will Dr.Robot be working for? The sharp elbows of Google, Amazon or our Chinese Masters?

• How AI Could Change the Highly-Skilled Job Market

• Secret documents reveal how China mass detention camps work

• Self-confessed Chinese spy spills secrets in Australia -- Someone doesn't want to go back to Beijing.

• Australia investigates China plot to plant spy in Parliament

• 42 people receive misdemeanor summonses for disorderly conduct during Saturday’s Harvard-Yale protest

• Ultrasensitive protein method lets scientists ID someone from a single strand of hair -- Marco! Polo!

• Police: Woman stabbed another in belief she was wearing fur

• 'She leaves him. He kills her.' Thousands in Belgium march to demand end to violence against women

• R. Kelly's girlfriend accuses him of controlling and manipulative behavior -- <sigh>

• Too white, too middle class and lacking in empathy, Extinction Rebellion has a race problem, critics say -- Huh.

• For some rural US TV viewers, local news is anything but -- Nothing to see here.

• Boy Scouts mortgage vast New Mexico ranch as collateral

• They found Viking coins worth millions using metal detectors, but their discovery led to prison

• Rescue dog who lost her own litter 'adopts' orphaned puppies -- The sweet "little miracle" was coordinated by Minnesota animal rescue Secondhand Hounds.

• 2 boys shot to death outside California elementary school

• Sheriff: Man in bunker by Milwaukee River had weapons stash

• Ex-San Diego sheriff’s captain arrested in gun sales

• A White Officer Shoots a Black Colleague, Deepening a Racial Divide

• The world's best pension system is being pushed to the brink

• Ex-college athlete sentenced to 5 years in prison for rape

• Exporting the Nile: Outsiders Buy Up Vital Water Supply

• Koalas are likely dying by the hundreds as Australian wildfires tear across their habitat

• Why Is California Approving So Many New Oil Wells? -- Money?

• E-scooters suddenly appeared everywhere, but now they're riding into serious trouble

• Mr. Rogers was a televangelist to toddlers -- Someone finally figures it out.

• Stop Trying to Raise Successful Kids -- And start raising kind ones.

• Faith could bring us together. But too often it divides us

• K-Pop star Goo Hara found dead at her Seoul home -- The KPop machine shells out another bearing. Police are investigating the cause of her death, and have not yet filed an official report

Edited November 25, 2019 by Cupid Stunt

[Petunia13]

I still miss @valleycliffe. ❤️ You were loved by so many and I hope you are okay . 

Not that it matters but I was fired my new job Sunday. They got to calling my previous one after I was hired and training and the lady manager gave him an earful of bullshit on me. They actually fired me simultaneously, the first by phone and second when I walked in the door and when I asked he told me why in cagey phrasing. I tried to prevail upon reason but was shut down. I might be the only person I know who was fired 2 jobs in one afternoon.

[boes]

16 minutes ago, Petunia13 said:

I still miss @valleycliffe. ❤️ You were loved by so many and I hope you are okay . 

Not that it matters but I was fired my new job Sunday. They got to calling my previous one after I was hired and training and the lady manager gave him an earful of bullshit on me. They actually fired me simultaneously, the first by phone and second when I walked in the door and when I asked he told me why in cagey phrasing. I tried to prevail upon reason but was shut down. I might be the only person I know who was fired 2 jobs in one afternoon.

Petunia13, that is just terrible, just terrible, I'm so sorry.

[Petunia13]

It’s okay. I was upset today cuz I am and was screwed. I’m applying jobs not listing my last employer and most places already hired for holidays. I was surprised how petty she was I mean she got what she wanted me to leave but had to poison the well elsewhere (and it was a v high paying job). I’m embarrassed to say it I told one poster I’m close to privately right after.  

I was called and fired from the place I last worked and planned to quit from the husband of the mean lady manager. I worked there the night before and she was drinking on the job and kiki-ing up a storm partying. The bartenders refused to make my customers drinks and laughed while she laughed. I didn’t really react since I knew I had another job. He called and fired me the next day saying I’m not working out or on their level and stammering I said okay bye. Went to my new job and he said he had to respect their opinions and it was shared in “friendship” I told him I have no job now and was excited for and counting on working there, he didn’t give a shit. The way it was almost coordinated and how happy she was and new dude’s comments I know. A true petty bitch who’s main issue was I’m skinny,  like really Sis? I didn’t choose the way I look and her husband hired me seeing me. And new boss ain’t shit for firing me on hearsay and letting me get dressed up, study menu, and drive out there. 

[jewel21]

It's always great when you find out you're losing 5 hours a week of pay for the forseeable future. And right before the holidays, too. Merry fucking Christmas. I guess no one is getting gifts this year.

ETA: Petunia I'm so sorry. That absolutely sucks. You don't deserve it.

[Cupid Stunt]

(((Petunia))) and (((jewel)))

I'm sorry. It's difficult to not harden your heart against the people involved.

We're praying for you.

Edited November 26, 2019 by Cupid Stunt

[Cupid Stunt]

Thanksgiving is turning out to be a mess for much of the US:

• Snowstorm to disrupt Thanksgiving travel for millions

• 90-mph winds pound Mammoth as big snow storm approaches California

• Wildfire outside Santa Barbara, California, threatens homes, causes evacuations

• Above-ground power lines grow in risk as climate changes

• Wintertime mulching, watering helps drought-sensitive plants

• Gift-wrapping this season trends jazzy but sustainable

• Stop! Washing your Thanksgiving turkey could spread germs -- O_o

• Syracuse U, shaken by racism, welcomes the holiday break

• Family of slain Utah woman says school didn’t protect her

• U. of California leaders support dropping use of SAT, ACT

• Grocery-carrying robots are coming. Do we need them? -- They're just the right size to trip over or get in the way of the disabled; Screw them. Must have grocery-bots because they're cooler, we're lazy fucks and won't be seen dead with granny carts.

• Papa John's Founder John Schnatter Says Board Conspired to Oust Him, Vows 'Day of Reckoning Will Come' -- And Happy Thanksgiving to you too, you racist putz!

• If you make it home for Thanksgiving: How do you win every argument with your family? Watch football or stupid Christmas movies, compile a list of neutral subjects and amusing anecdotes, then change the subject. 

• Storms in France, Greece and Italy leave 'biblical destruction'

• More good news -- In bleak report, U.N. says drastic action is only way to avoid worst effects of climate change

• Failing ice cellars signal changes in Alaska whaling towns

• EBay to sell ticketing unit StubHub for $4.05 billion

• Ruthless Quotas at Amazon Are Maiming Employees -- This holiday season, Amazon will move millions of packages at dizzying speed. Internal injury reports suggest all that convenience is coming at the expense of worker safety.

• Feral hogs in Texas attacked and killed a woman outside a home -- Racoons, opossums, rats, squirrels, feral chickens and peacocks don't look so bad.

• A baby seal was rescued from a California parking deck and immediately took a much-needed nap -- How did you get in a parking garage, little one?

• Dog befriends baby giraffe after abandoned in South Africa -- Aww … Beautiful Malinois!

• OK Boomer, Who's Going to Buy Your 21 Million Homes? -- Last time I looked in the WSJ there's still a huge market for single-family homes. Affordability is a different question.

• The crackdown on secret real estate listings

• Navy veteran may have been dead in apartment for 3 years

• McDonald's pays $26 million over claims it stole California workers' pay

• The Dutch are Waking Up to Discover They Live in a 'Narco State'

• A ruthless Mexican drug lord’s empire is devastating families with its grip on small-town USA

• Moroccan rapper gets year in prison for critical video -- Truth to power has its price.

• 3 Maryland men exonerated after 36 years in prison

• Ex-director of Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America charged

• German police to eye 900 men’s DNA seeking girl’s killer

• France pledges millions to stop deadly domestic violence

• Activists confront far-right leader on gender violence law

• Rabbis urge teaching of empathy to counteract religious hate -- That's a novel approach for religious teachers.

• Thieves steal ‘priceless’ jewel sets from Dresden museum

• Top art, treasure and jewel heists in Europe in recent times

• California boosts pot taxes, shocking unsteady industry

[peacheslatour]

Quote

Racoons, opossums, rats, squirrels, feral chickens and peacocks don't look so bad.

Damn, I guess so.

[luv2lurk]

Quote

On 11/24/2019 at 11:35 AM, pearlite said:

And now you make it possible for me to admit that we've got backyard rats too, And squirrels, and raccoons, and then that possum. Keep in mind this is downtown TO--close to the lake but also close to a trendy retail street with a ton of restaurants.

Technically, it was an opossum

https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-is-the-difference-between-a-possum-and-an-opossum.html

but thank you - I had one in my backyard this summer and couldn't figure out what it was (thought maybe deformed rat). Seems it is making the rounds of the neighbourhood.

Could I also send you the very fat (probably pregnant) racoon? I am tired of it peeing and pooping on my car in the garage 😼

[pearlite]

2 hours ago, luv2lurk said:

Technically, it was an opossum

https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-is-the-difference-between-a-possum-and-an-opossum.html

but thank you - I had one in my backyard this summer and couldn't figure out what it was (thought maybe deformed rat). Seems it is making the rounds of the neighbourhood.

Could I also send you the very fat (probably pregnant) racoon? I am tired of it peeing and pooping on my car in the garage 😼

Umm, you really want to send a raccoon to Toronto? We're the downtown trash panda capitol of North America, some say. There's even a documentary about Toronto's raccoons...

I did have to have my entire roof rebuilt after years of their frolicking, scratching, mating, and gaining entry into crawlspaces. You haven't lived until you've seen a creepy little black paw reach through a hole in the wall, I tell you,

And raccoon poop is even viler than whatever regular critter poop might be.

That opossum freaked me right out, I looked out my kitchen back-door--sheet glass door, and saw a big mottled light-grey back. I thought for a second it might be one of the neighbour's cats of a similar colour. Then I saw the giant bare tail.

So much for the backyard menagerie--PearliteLite at one point started naming the rats. They all got the same name--Berdesz Volga. She decided they were East European. Don't ask.

And speaking of PlL, she came back from school with this one: https://www.blogto.com/city/2019/11/someone-going-around-throwing-feces-students-toronto-universities/

But thanks for allowing me to try to cheer myself up. I found out yesterday evening that one of my sisters [18 or so years older] had a massive stroke yesterday and isn't expected to come out of it. In the last two years, I've lost one other sister and a sister in law.

So you all do help me a lot sometimes.

Edited November 27, 2019 by pearlite

[Cupid Stunt]

Lord our God, hear our prayers for Your servant, Pearlite's sister, In times of distress we have no other help but You. Have mercy on Pearlite's sister, and protect her family. We submit to Your will and pray that You to be merciful. You are the Physician of our souls and bodies, and to You do we pray for Your eternal grace: to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Both now and forever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.